Filing a DC Insurance Claim
The first thing someone should do after an accident is consult with a qualified and experienced insurance attorney. The attorney will be able to discuss with the person any potential claims that he or she may have along with guiding the injured person through the insurance claim process.
Filing an Insurance Claim
Filing an insurance claim will essentially open a claim surrounding a particular incident. The claim will be given an additional claim number, and the insurance company will investigate the claim and make any payments it is obligated to pay pursuant to the insurance policy.
Anyone who is involved in a motor vehicle collision is entitled to certain benefits through their own insurance policy regardless of who is at fault. Therefore, anyone who is involved in a motor vehicle collision should make a claim with his or her insurance company. If a claim is not made then he or she may not receive those benefits to which he or she is entitled.
Process for Filing an Insurance Claim
The process for filing the insurance claim is relatively straightforward. A call is made to the insurance company to report the claim and open the claim. That claim process varies from insurance company to insurance company. However, many of the insurance companies go through the same initial process of collecting names, addresses, locations, and all information regarding how it occurred and any known information regarding the nature and extent of the injuries during that initial process in order to open the claim and investigate it going forward.
Types of Insurance Claims
There are different types of insurance claims. In the automobile insurance claim context, there are personal insurance policy claims, which are often personal injury protection (PIP) claims, and there are also claims to be made against the at-fault insurance party, and potentially against the injured driver’s own insurance policy.
First Party and Third Party Insurance Claims
When the person makes a claim against the at-fault insurance—the at-fault party’s insurance company, meaning a claim is made against another insurance company besides the driver’s own—that is called a third party claim because the driver is making a claim against a third party’s insurance policy. If for whatever reason the injured person is a making a claim with his or her own insurance company, then that is a first party insurance claim.
Typically, whether a person is allowed to make a first party or third party claim depends on all of the insurance involved by all of the parties. The nature and extent of the injuries can come into play in certain limited circumstances. However, the evaluation begins with reviewing the insurance policy of all parties involved. When a motor vehicle collision occurs, where the incident occurred, or how it occurred generally does not factor into whether a person can make a first party or third party claim.
A person is only allowed to initiate a first party insurance claim in certain circumstances. The majority of claims are third party claims. In an automobile collision, drivers of automobiles are required to have automobile insurance. Thus, all drivers should be insured. And therefore, when a motor vehicle collision occurs, a third party claim is typically initiated. If the driver of the at-fault vehicle is not insured or does not have sufficient insurance to compensate the injured person, the injured person is only then eligible to initiate a claim with his or her insurance company, which would be a first party claim.
Calculation of the Insurance Claim
The value of the insurance claim is a dollar figure that is calculated by the injured person and his or her attorney. The claim is calculated based upon the nature and extent of the injuries, how the incident occurred, the age of the parties involved, the severity of the impact, the evaluation of property damage, and any other innumerable factors that go in to how the incident occurred. Each case is evaluated on a case-by-case basis as no two cases are the same.
Role of An Attorney
An attorney will rely upon his or her experience in evaluating similar claims to advise the injured person of the reasonable range of value associated with his or her claim based upon the attorney’s experience in handling similar claims.
If you have been injured in an accident in DC, contact our experienced team of lawyers today so we can begin working toward the justice and compensation you deserve.